Maine's beauty lies in its rawness. Fresh tart blueberries growing wild on the side of the road. Hills rising from the rocky shores of Camden. Winding roads built centuries ago that hug the shore connecting village to village. Morning mist on Penobscot Bay. But in between the ruggedness lies the real beauty of Maine. Even a delicacy like Maine lobster still involves shells and claws. It's raw. It's true. It's Maine.

Days 1-2Savor the scent of sea air and the flavors of the day's fresh catch Pedal amid the majestic fir and towering spruce of Somes Sound on beautiful Mount Desert Island Pounding surf collides with rugged coastline while lush boreal and hardwood forests blanket glacier-scoured hills in Acadia National Park The arched bridges and tranquility of Acadia's carriage road system, a gift from John D. Rockefeller, Jr., make for lovely riding In the mood for a challenge? Bike to Cadillac Mountain's 1,532-foot summit, the North Atlantic Seaboard's highest point and reputedly the first US location to see the rising sun.

Days 3-5Discover the countless charms of Camden, with its sublime harborside setting
and wealth of historic architecture Cycle through the tiny coastal village of Bayside—its colorful cottages hearkening back to a bygone era Quiet roads lead into the heart of Rockland, where you can enjoy lunch, browse in the many bookstores or linger at a café Be sure not to miss the Farnsworth Art Museum, nationally recognized for its rich collection of Wyeth family paintings Savor a farewell dinner at our inn's elegant award-winning French restaurant The rolling countryside surrounding Camden and Lake Megunticook invites a scenic morning spin For one last down east experience, treat yourself to a cup of coffee at the Hope General Store, a lively local spot founded in 1832.

Trip Highlights

Savor the scent of sea air and the crash of waves on rocky shores

The silence of deep pine forests and the flavors of the day's fresh catch

Fresh lobster—need we say more?

Discover the countless charms of Camden, with its sublime harborside setting

Routes For All Abilities

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of
interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one
day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat
from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each
day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Daily Route Options

Day

EASYGOING

ACTIVE

AVID

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

miles

feet gain

miles

feet gain

miles

feet gain

miles

feet gain

miles

feet gain

1

17

500

2

14

600

27

1100

34

1700

49

2200

3

19*

500

25*

1000

33

1200

Optional Afternoon Kayaking

4

16*

800

27

1100

39

1300

5

18

500

note:

To make for the most comfortable ride to this particular trip, we've outfitted our titanium road bike with slightly wider tires. You'll appreciate this on those stretches of the route with hard-packed dirt (approximately 20% dirt and 80% paved).

* Includes a shuttle

2015 Dates & Pricing*

CLASSIC TRIPS

6/29-7/3Price: $2898 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)

7/6-10Price: $2798 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)

7/13-17Price: $2898 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)

7/27-31Price: $3098 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)

8/3-7Price: $2798 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)

8/10-14Price: $2998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)

8/17-21Price: $2798 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)

8/24-28Price: $2898 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)

8/31-9/4Price: $2898 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)

9/7-11Price: $2798 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)

9/12-16Price: $2698 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)

9/21-25Price: $2598 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)

9/28-10/2Price: $2598 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)

10/5-9Price: $2598 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1030 for sgl. occ.)

*Prices may change. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.

Private Trips Options & Pricing

Gather your favorite people to share a Backroads adventure on a ready-to-book Private Trip - featuring all the legendary Backroads hallmarks from expert leaders to unforgettable activities.

You can pick from a large selection of dates for your group of 8 or more. Call us for date availability.

If your party has fewer than 8 guests, or if your preferred date is not available, we'll create a departure just for you.

Pricing for Private Trips (prices may vary based on departure date)

2015

2 - 3 guests
from $4,598 pp dbl. occ.

8 - 9 guests
from $3,398 pp dbl. occ.

4 - 5 guests
from $3,998 pp dbl. occ.

10 - 11 guests
from $2,898 pp dbl. occ.

6 - 7 guests
from $3,598 pp dbl. occ.

12 or more guests
from $2,598 pp dbl. occ.

All Private Singles-Solos trips require a minimum of 16 guests.

Guest Trip Reviews

The Backroads Maine trip? The best vacation ever! It couldn't be better. Fantastic views and routes, excellent accommodations, best food ever. Full of fun spots. We got a great group. When we thought it couldn't be better, you topped that.

Veronica Ettedgui- Caracas, Venezuela

We had an awesome trip! It was so well organized, so much fun and really top-notch. We loved all of the special places we visited.

Jill Bernstein- Highland Park, IL

From the individuals who helped me with making the initial trip reservation, to the person who answered my last minute pre-trip questions, to the trip itself (leaders, location, bike quality, food) - all were superb! The locations were beautiful, the hotel/inn were both great, as was the food.